Corby given two weeks to prepare defence

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Schapelle Corby has been given just two weeks to find new
witnesses to back her claims of innocence after Bali's High Court
set a date in late July for her trial reopener.

Corby's celebrity Indonesian lawyer, Hotman Paris Hutapea, said
he had written again to the Australian government in a last-ditch
plea for help after the High Court named July 20 as the date when
Corby would get her fresh shot at freedom.

"The High Court has already said the additional hearing will be
on July 20 so we have only a week and a half to prepare," Hutapea
told AAP.

He said the High Court had informed another of Corby's lawyers,
Erwin Siregar, about the date yesterday afternoon.

Siregar would break the news to Corby at Bali's Kerobokan Prison
today.

Bali's High Court has agreed to hear testimony from new
witnesses backing Corby's claims she did not know about 4.1kg of
marijuana found in her luggage at Bali airport last October

Corby's legal team and the government clashed yesterday over the
role Australian authorities should play in her reopened court
case.

The defence want at least a dozen witnesses to appear, including
Australian prisoners, Qantas baggage handlers and check-in
staff.

Corby made a personal plea in a handwritten letter to Prime
Minister John Howard asking for his help to release her from her
"nightmare" 20-year jail term.

Mr Howard is expected to respond in the next few days.

But Hutapea said the court date had placed new pressure on
Canberra and he would now write to Senator Ellison repeating the
defence team's requests for more aid in tracking down new
witnesses, including immunity for anyone testifying in
Australia.

Hutapea said he was not hopeful of the government's backing
after Attorney General Philip Ruddock said Corby's legal team had
placed unrealistic expectations on the government,

"I am pessimistic about getting help from the government judging
from their previous behaviour and comments in the media," he
said.

Mr Ruddock said the Australian Federal Police had already done
everything they could.

"There have been high levels of expectation which I think may be
a little unrealistic in terms of the government's ability to
identify particular individuals which it is alleged may have been
complicit in putting drugs in her luggage," he said.

Mr Ruddock defended the government's efforts, saying it had
asked anyone with information relating to the case to contact
Corby's defence team.

"We have informed public servants in situations where it is
suggested they may have evidence that if they do, they should get
in touch with the Corby team," he said.

"There are issues of privacy about whether or not you can give
out people's names but employees have certainly been informed."

Hutapea said Senator Ellison must at least decide on the
immunity issue immediately.

"I and even the old defence team have been asking this plenty of
times, but your government refused," he said.

"Now he (Senator Ellison) is saying he may consider it.

"That also means maybe not, and no stupid person will take the
risk to testify.

"The government must make a drastic change to promise immunity
for our witnesses."